The Ultimate Guide to the Top Movie Streaming Sites for Families

When it comes to watching movies at home or on the road there are so many options. Some are expensive, others may not work with your devices, and others don’t have what you want. We’ve scoured the web and found the best, safest, and easiest to use sites for streaming movies.

In our evaluation of the sites, we considered streaming quality, where the movies originate (at a third-party site or on the site you’re visiting), how long the site’s been around, and ease of use. To be fair, in the day of pretty fast Internet connections, streaming quality was pretty much on par across the sites. We also include things like type of content available, movie and show reviews, supported devices, and family-friendly options when available. Here’s what you’ll find in this comprehensive round-up:

Only you can decide which option best meets your needs. If you travel a lot and can’t really rely on an Internet connection when traveling, then you’re best bet is to rent or buy digital movies that you can download to your viewing device. However, if you’re looking for a cable replacement, a subscription service could be the perfect fit. Just be sure to find out how many devices can be used with one account. You may prefer a combination of all three options. All the services listed here are reliable and safe to use, so feel free to try out a few. Click the links below to view the best free or paid streaming movie sites.

Top 10 Movie Streaming Sites for New Releases

These days there are more ways to watch movies and TV shows than ever before. The two main options are subscribing to an online streaming movie service or rent/purchase flicks online and download them to watch later. You no longer need to subscribe to Netflix or a premium channel just to watch their original content. At a few of the sites listed (iTunes and Xbox, for example), you can purchase seasons of Inspector Gadget. That said, you may not get the current season, but there’s plenty for a proper binge watch. While all these options cost money, you can often signup for a 30-day free trial. Here are the 10 best places to find streaming movies online in alphabetical order.

Current movies and many network TV shows including original HBO, Starz, and Showtime programs

1. Amazon Prime: While not “technically” free (there is an annual fee to be an Amazon Prime member), you can use the service to stream movies and TV shows on tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and of course Amazon products. There is a decent selection of movies, recent TV shows, and family-friendly content, though some might argue that there’s a better selection for movies and TV series that are available for rent or purchase. However, some of Amazon Prime’s original programming including is only available to Prime subscribers. While you can stream as much Prime Instant Video as you’d like, you’ll have to pay an additional fee (rent or purchase) if you want to download it.

Organization of the Prime media is similar to the rest of Amazon’s site. There are categories, but you’re probably better off typing a title in the search box. Parents will appreciate the Kids & Family category that includes popular cartoons along with a few movies. Plus, there’s a G or PG rating filter option, so finding movies to watch with the family only takes a few clicks. Once you find something, you can add it to your Watchlist and save it for later.

Pros: Family-friendly options; HD content; Works on a ton of devices; Some exclusive content

Cons: Downloading videos aren’t included in the Prime service; New releases aren’t typically part of the Prime library; Streaming content is mixed in with all of Amazon’s other products making navigation on a browser a bit confusing

2.Flixster: Part on demand content and part movie listings, you can visit it to rent, buy or just find out when a new movie is playing locally. Navigating the site is fairly straightforward, but only highlights new releases on its home page. If you’re looking to browse by genre, you’re out of luck. That said, search works fairly well you can search by actor/actress or movie title. You can easily add flicks you want to see to your own list. There is a Facebook component that signs you into the site so it can remember your options.

Flixster’s uses Rotten Tomatoes for reviews. If the movie you want to see is available for streaming, but not available through the company there are links to other places to download it. Many of the movies available on the site are available for either SD or HD rental/purchase. You’ll also see ads on the site to download movies, this transports you to another site that requires you to install something on your device. If you plan on doing this, it’s a good idea to have your anti-virus software running.

Pros: Good recent movie release selection; Provides information on where to get or watch a movie

Cons: Many films only available to rent in SD; Could be better organized

3.Google Play: Perhaps the most basic of all the services listed in this comparison of streaming sites. You can sort through listings by genre, movies, TV shows, studios, networks, top charts, and new releases. There isn’t a family friendly or kid category, though you can select networks to find what’s offered from Disney and Nickelodeon. Speaking of networks, you can also buy HBO, Starz, and Showtime original programs. You can rent or purchase movies and shows and view them in HD using the Chrome web browser Chromecast, Roku, and Android devices.

4.HBO NOW: Released this month by HBO, this new app allows people without an HBO cable subscription to watch all their content on Apple devices. For years, cable subscribers have been able to access HBO content on mobile devices through the company’s HBO GO app. HBO NOW opens the door to people who want access to HBO content, but aren’t paying for a subscription to the service through a cable company. You’ll need to download and install the app, as well as pay a monthly subscription fee for HBO NOW. You’ll get access to all of HBO. That includes family-friendly content, talk shows, sporting events, comedy specials, documentaries, original series, and a decent selection of new releases. The site is well organized and you can find shows to watch by genre, from an alphabetical list, or via search. You can also add shows to a Watchlist.

Pros: Everything is included in subscription; Award-winning original programming

Cons: Only available on Apple devices or participating broadband provider; Can’t download shows or movies to watch without an Internet connection

5.Hulu Plus: The premium version of Hulu offers the ability to watch all the TV shows, movies, trailers, and original programming available on the site. However, there are still commercials included in the TV shows that you can’t skip. You can browse shows to watch by categories, genres, staff picks, or networks. If you can’t find the show or movie you want, Hulu’s search results will take you to a place where you can learn more information. The bulk of Hulu’s content is really focused around TV shows. There are popular movies and documentaries, but you won’t find a large selection of recent releases. You can share video clips through social media and email. There is a comment section available for each show and you can simultaneously post comments to Facebook.

Parents will appreciate the dedicated section for kids featuring popular cartoons such as Power Rangers, SpongeBob, and The Amazing World of Gumball, along with shows from the Wiggles and kid-friendly movies. Additionally, movies that aren’t suitable for children require additional information (month and birth year) before they start to play.

6. iTunes: Like Google Play, iTunes is essentially a movie and TV show rental/purchase option, but for Apple users. The site has a large library of new and classic movies, TV shows, and documentaries. You can also buy HBO, Starz, and Showtime original programs. Most content on the site is organized by genre, so it’s easy to find a particular show. Each listing has a synopsis, user reviews, and the option to purchase in HD or SD. Since you actually download the movie first, you can watch it anywhere regardless if you have an Internet connection.

Parents will appreciate the large selection of kid-friendly content, as well as the Ask to Buy feature. With this setting, purchases made by kids under 13 or other family members require parental permission to be completed. When you do purchase a movie or show, it can be downloaded by up to six people in your family, so no longer is a purchase trapped on just one device.

Pros: Good selection; Family-friendly content; Purchasing controls

Cons: Available on a limited amount of devices

7.Netflix: Home to original content such as The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Mako Mermaids, and Dragons: Race to the Edge, this streaming site offers more than just movies. For a monthly subscription fee, users can watch movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content in HD on a plethora of devices. Navigation is straightforward with titles listed by category, and it also has what’s trending along with suggestions based on what you’ve watched. See something you like? Add it to your queue. You can also search for things to watch by title or actor. While there aren’t user reviews, there are star ratings.

Once you pick something to watch, the service does a quick connection check, which helps ensure streaming is seamless. One nice feature is that if other family members use your Netflix account, they can have their own profile with picks tailored to their preferences. Plus, parents will appreciate the Kids profile, which is filled with movies, shows, and cartoons appropriate for children.

Pros: Kids profile; Great original shows; Good suggestions of what to watch

Cons: No downloading content

8. Vudu: This online movie rental/purchase site is a good spot to find new releases and popular movies. You’ll also find network TV shows and original series from HBO, Showtime, and Starz. In addition to a dedicated Kids Zone that’s filled with family-friendly movies, cartoons, and shows, there’s also a large selection of Disney films. In fact, you can sign-up for Disney Movies Anywhere on the site to get even more content.

Like many other movie sites in this roundup, navigating the site is straightforward. You can view collections, shows by network, genre, and even the release year. Each title has user reviews, a star rating, and suggestions. Shows can typically be rented or purchased in SD, HD, or HDX and then downloaded for viewing offline. Though, some movies (typically those on sale) are only available in SD and can only be watched on a computer.

Pros: Family-friendly options; Large library; Many new releases

Cons: Not all content available in HD; Some restrictions on how to watch some titles

9. YouTube: Not just home to funny cat videos, YouTube also has a ton of movies. While you might find some on the site that are free to watch, there are also plenty for sale or rent on its Movie channel. It has all the popular new releases and when you purchase or rent it you don’t need to rely on an Internet connection to watch it. Though you can find movies on YouTube that aren’t under the Movie Channel, some of them aren’t great quality or have commercials.

As for navigating the site, this is YouTube after all – there’s a lot to see. So you’ll be better off if you know what you’re looking for or visit the Movie channel. Parents looking for something for kids to watch will find plenty of options. Just be sure to turn on parental controls if you’re kids will be looking on their own.

Pros: Large library of titles to rent or own; Parental controls

Cons: Free movies can be questionable

10. Xbox Video: Microsoft Windows 8 release included a revamped user experience and a movie and TV show rental/purchase service called Xbox Video. Those with a Windows 8 device or later, can just click on the Video icon to be taken to the store. Otherwise you can check it out using a web browser. Similar to Apple’s iTunes store, there is a large library of new and classic movies, TV shows, and documentaries. You’ll also find original shows from HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz shows. Since the content isn’t organized by genre, you’ll need to know what you want to watch and search for it. Unless, of course, you want to see a new release, then it will be front and center. Each listing has a synopsis, reviews, and the option to purchase/rent in HD or SD (sometimes SD is the only option). Since you actually download the movie first, streaming quality isn’t really an issue and you can watch it anywhere regardless if you have an Internet connection.

Pros: Large library of movies and TV shows

Cons: Navigation a bit cumbersome; Limited amount of devices

Best Movie Streaming Sites with Free Content

There are a few legitimate places where you can stream and download movies online that won’t cause havoc on your computer. Some of these will have commercials as part of the viewing experience. This is how the companies offering these movies can afford to stream the movies free. On these sites, you also won’t find current releases that are still in theaters. Here are a few free streaming movie sites worth checking out listed in alphabetical order:

Foreign films, wildlife, family movies, original content, and documentaries

Crackle: Backed by Sony, this free streaming movie service also includes TV shows and some original content. You don’t have to register to use the service, but registering offers the ability to create a Watchlist, where you can add movies and shows to watch later. As is the case with many services today, you can easily sign-in with your Facebook account. Speaking of social media, each show has a sharing option, so you can post video links on Facebook and Twitter, as well as send them via email or embed it.

There aren’t a lot of new releases on the site, but it does have a fair share of classics such as The Blues Brothers, Groundhog Day, and TV shows such as Sanford & Son, and Seinfeld episodes (along with his recent Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee series). Overall, streaming quality is good, but the site doesn’t offer HD. We recommend adjusting the video settings when a movie begins playing. While you can fast forward and rewind to another part of a show, there’s no getting around the commercials. The good news is that you can access Crackle on a ton of devices including tablets, Smart TVs, smartphones, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Chromecast, and some Blu-ray disc players.

Hulu: This streaming service offers users the ability to watch TV shows, movies, trailers, and original programming free. You can browse shows to watch by categories, genres, staff picks, or networks. All of this makes navigating the site quite easy. If you can’t find the show or movie you want, Hulu’s search results will take you to where the show is located. Like Crackle, you can share video clips through social media and email. While there aren’t user reviews per se, there is a comment section available for each show. Streaming quality is good – no hiccups or pauses. However, there are commercials and not all content is available for free viewing. Current TV show seasons and some of the movies require a Hulu Plus account (see review above).

Parents will appreciate the dedicated section for kids featuring popular cartoons such as Power Rangers, SpongeBob, and The Amazing World of Gumball, along with shows from the Wiggles and kid-friendly movies. Additionally, movies that aren’t suitable for children require additional information (month and birth year) before they will play.

Internet Archive: In an effort to help preserve digital media, the Internet Archive is a non-profit site that allows viewers to watch and download movies free. It currently has over 17,000 movie-related media available. This isn’t a site where you’ll find the most popular current movies, however, those who are interested in classics created by Charlie Chaplin, the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, and others will appreciate the collection. It also has the original versions of 20,000Leagues Under the Sea, Tarzan films, and more. The films featured here are all under Public Domain, which means it’s legal to download and view them.

The site is fairly straightforward to navigate and users can even create collections that anyone can view. If you’re looking for a particular title, search works well. There are no commercials and a few file versions available to download. In addition to movies, the non-profit library also has classic TV shows, cartoons, books, and music all available for free. While many of the videos are in black and white, there are quite a few titles that are in color. The nice thing is that parents won’t really have to worry if their kids are watching questionable content, since most of it was created before the 1950s.

Pros: Download and stream movies for free; All content is public domain; No commercials

Cons: Lacks recent titles; Library isn’t as large as other sites

Popcornflix: It’s unlikely that you’ll see many movies on this site that have recently been in the theatres. The majority of the videos on Popcornflix are documentaries, foreign films, B movies, Wildlife features (many from National Geographic), Spanish flicks, and family shows. It is fairly easy to read the subtitles when watching a foreign film. Navigating the site is a breeze and it does feature some fun categories such as “Bromance before Romance,” and “Before they were Famous.” In the latter category, you could find a film featuring a young Ryan Reynolds staring in School of Life. Similar to other sites in this roundup, viewers need to enter birth date information in order to watch R rated movies.

Streaming quality was acceptable (don’t expect HD); we should note occasionally there was a long pause between the first commercials and starting the movie. While there are commercials that appear throughout the videos, you can skip the first ad. You’ll also see ads on the site to download movies – this will take you to another site that requires you to install something on your device. If you plan on doing this, it’s a good idea to have your anti-virus software running.

What You Need to Know Before Clicking Play at Free Streaming Movie Sites

There are quite a few sites online that offer free streaming movies and many options are movies that are currently in movie theaters. Which right there has to make you think, “Are these really on the up and up?” Quick answer: Not so much. Two of the most popular and long-running free movie streaming sites are Solar Movie and Vumoo. Unlike a site like Netflix that stores all the movies on their site, these sites provide links to other streaming options. You can pick what service you want to use to stream the video.

Once selected, you click on the movie and click the play button. Before the movie can play, you’ll likely receive an alert to install something or update the player. These updates aren’t from trusted companies. For example, it might say update your flash player. Sounds reasonable, right? Adobe is constantly alerting you to update its Flash player. Only difference is when you download their suggestion, it’s not from Adobe. If you have malware blockers installed in your browser, it will immediately tell you it’s from a questionable site and not to install it. Look closely at the details of the app or plug-in you’re about to install you’ll see it can do things like change the content you put on other websites. That’s not good.

If you do decide to use one of these sites, be sure you’re anti-malware software is up to date. Some solid options to consider are Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and IObit Malware Fighter. If you’ve already inadvertently downloaded and installed some malware to your computer, check out Spybot Search & Destroy. Watching a free current movie online that’s not from a credible source can cause you more trouble than pleasure. Just remember if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not all that safe to use.

Check to See if You Already Have Access to Streaming Movie Sites

While all of the services listed in this roundup offer a plethora of entertainment options, it’s worth checking out what you may already have access to on your own. For example, if you subscribe to any premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, Starz, or Cinemax, they all have mobile apps that you can download and use to stream movies on a tablet. This is a great alternative if you’re heading out of town with the family and know you’ll be somewhere with a good Internet connection.

Keep in mind that just because a site is offering free movies, it may not be on the up and up. This is especially true of free streaming sites that are offering movies that are currently in theaters. The free sites mentioned in this roundup are all safe and legal to use, so you don’t have to worry about malware. If you find one that looks too good to be true and you want to try it, do yourself a favor and turn on your anti-virus software first. The same goes for any site that wants you to upgrade or install new video players.

Finally, if you do end up purchasing movies and shows from these sites, you can always upload them to your RealCloud account. This will give you extra space on your computer, as well as let you access and play it on any device you want. If you haven’t tried RealTimes, you can get started for free and see how it works for you. It might just be the perfect digital movie library for your growing collection.

About The Author

Joni Blecher, RealPlayer Blog Editor - Joni started covering technology back when cell phones didn't have color displays and quickly made a name for herself in the mobile industry as CNET's "Cell Phone Diva." In addition to covering everything mobile, she has launched and edited multiple blog sites. When Joni started appearing in product review videos, she fell in love with the story-telling format and honed her video skills to include producing and editing videos. Joni has made appearances on CNN, BBC, CNBC's Bulls Eye, and Good Day New York to discuss the latest in technology. When she's not spending her time writing or shooting video you can find her exploring and tasting the latest food trends.
Follow her on Twitter @JoniBlecher